Paper folding machine



June 21, 1932. c. s. BEALL PAPER FOLDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 30, 1950 INVENTOR. Bea? Z C/f/fbrd S.

ATTORNEY Patented June 21, 1932 ATES UNITED CLIFFORD S. BEALL, 0F RAYMOND, WASHINGTON PAPER FQLDIN G MACHINE Application filed October 30, 1930. Serial No. 492,338.

This invention relates to a paper-folding machine and has for its object the providingof an exceedingly simple, economical and rapid-operating mechanism for making single folds in sheets of paper or other material, as hereinafter described.

The main feature of my invention is the arrangement in combination of a pair of rollers made of soft rubber, one of the pair being power-driven and the other being held in contact with the driven roller by means of springs in such manner that when the driven roller is caused to revolve, the frictional grip of its surface upon the surface of the other roller causes that roller to also revolve in a direction opposite to that of the driven roller, by means of which arrangement or combination of soft rollers, pressure may be exerted upon and motion imparted to a sheet of paper or other substance introduced to said rollers at their line of contact While they are revolving,the friction of the surfaces of the revolving rollers on the surfaces of the paper or other substance causing said paper or other substance to be immediately caught by and drawn between the said rollers, emerging on the far side thereof, the forward motion of the paper or other substance continuing as long as there is any of it remaining between the rollers and they continue to revolve. V

This feature occurs twice 1n the present invention, one power-driven roller operating by friction alone, twoother rollers held in contact therewith.

Other improvements of my invention are: (a) The placing of the rollers in a horizontal rather than a vertical position,so that the paper is fed to them flat and not standing on edge and passes immediately onto a flatsurface, where it is supported by the force of gravity, no springs or other devices being necessary to. hold the paper in alignment or to keep it from sagging, springing or turning up at the corners or edges during any part of the progress through the machine, or folding on a line different from the line desired.

(6) The use of friction-operated take-off tapes to deliver the folded paper. I

These various improvements permit the elimination of all expensive or noisy cogwheels, chains, timing devices or gears of any nature, absolute accuracy of feed being as-- sured by the tenacious grip of the soft rubber rollers on the paper fed between them, and result in a practically noiseless machine, so extremely simple and inexpensive in constuction and time-saving in .operationas to bring it wellwithin the means of hundreds of small shops which at present are unable to afford the expense of a folding machine; and operating so rapidly-that it will do all the folding neededin such shops, it being possible, with the use of my invention, to fold as many as four thousand sheets in an hour, and perhaps even more than that. It will be noted that the machine has" no adjustable parts whatever aside from the paper guides on the feed table and the paper stop between the receiving plates or grids. Hence there is nothing apt to be lost, mislaid or broken or requiring time for adjustment, with the delays attendant thereon.

I have found by experiment that the machine will fold with equal facility all classes of paper stock amendable to foldin without any need of scoring or slitting t e paper along the line of the desired fold; also that the buckle produced by the machine is never so pronounced as toform a double fold in the paper, however rapidly the machine be operated.

The following is a description of the machine aided by the accompanyingdrawing in which w e I Fig. 1 is a vertical, sectional view of the apparatus of the invention, and

ig. 2 is a view partlyin'transverse sec:

tion and partly in end elevation, with the feed table removed. 7

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in both figures of the drawing. 7

The machine of the present invention is provided with three horizontally positioned. rollers, 5, 6, and 7. These rollers are made of, or surfacedwith, rubber or any equivalent thereof of such a degree of softness and elasticity as tofrictionally grip, hold, feed and foldthe paper in the manner presently to'be described. .The roller, 6, is a driven,

' placed, under the feed table in front of the.

i a foot treadle,though either of such methods of opeliationwould be at agreat sacrifice of speed.)

Take-off tapes 11 pass over the roller 6,

under roller 7 and overa guide roll 12, but

tion of the take-off, they could be passed over roller 7, under roller 6 and, over the guide roll 12, which in that case would be rollers: rather than behindythem as in the drawing. a c

The rollers 52 and/7, receive their movement from frictional contact or engagement with rollerfi, the rollers and 7 being mounted in movable bearings set insliding blocks 13 and 14, which arespring-actuated toward roller (i'by 'springs (preferably coil springs) 15 and A 16, which operate to hold the rollers 5 and 7 incontact with roller 6 orwithpaper or other material introduced between roller 6 and roller7or5 asathe case may-be.

The'operat-ion of the machine is as follows: Power bein rapplied to roller 6, cans ing it to revolve from front to rear, this in turn causing rollers 5 and 7 to revolve in the opposite direction, a sheet of: paper or other material tobe folded which is indicated at 17, is fed forward: over a feed table 18, which is fitted with adjustable guides for directing the paper.- or other'material in its course toward the rollers, and is-by theaction of rollers-.5 and 6 seizedandcarried'forward and upwardly between guide plates or grids 19 and 20, setin an inclined plane at an angle of more or less, from horizontal, until the forward or upward edge of the paper strikes the'stop21', which is adjustable and so arranged asflto close the channel between;

the plates: or grids-19 andQO at any desireddistance from the roller 6, scales for regulating its position being marked on theupper side of 'thetopgguideplateor on the framework of the machine.

Contactof the forward edge of the paper with the stop'21 causes'the intermediate. or"

free portion of'the paper to-at' once buckle or fold downwardly as indicated at 17*, thisdownward buckling action continuing until the buck-ledportion' of the-sheet iscaught between rollers 6 and 7 and folded, thewhole sheet in; folded condition being then drawn downwardly by-the continued-action ofrollers. 6andi'7 on-the delivery tapes 11, which carry it off'overthe'd'elivery roll 12.

So far as I' am aware, I am tlie'first to discover andprovide anythingof this natureor, of such simple and inexpensive construe tionto'rapi dlyand economically form singlet" folds in sheets of paper. However, it is ap parent that if a sheet so folded were to be again fed through the mechanism, the opera tion would be repeated and a second fold produced, and further feeding would produce additional folds. Consequently, it is to be understood that, the principles. disclosed are applicable to machines wherein, the mechanism here shown is duplicated or multiplied for the purpose of making two or more folds --inthe same sheet'ofpa-per or other material. if it should be desired to reverse the direc- It is to be understood that the invention is not limited'to the precise arrangement shown, but that it includes within its purview whatever changes fairly come within either the terms or the spirit ofthe appended claims; and further, that the principles disclosed iare. applicable to machines wherein an. arrange.- ment. in combinationiof soft-surfaced, spring: contacted rollers such as is herein described: and the power ofthe friction developed. by their manner of operation as herein set forth, is used for purposes other'than the folding of paper, or for a varietyiof purposes;

Having described my, invention, what 1 claim as new and desire-to secure by Letters; Patent is the following z,- V

l. A, machine of the character described, comprising three horizontally positionedrubs ber; rollers, one of which is positivelydriven" mainlng; or; third roller being. so associated with: the driven roller that when theinter-: mediate portion of the paper is caused to buckle by contact of'the forwardredgeof. the paperwith the stopping means, said: third; roller and: the .driven roller will grip thebuckledport-ion of'the sheet and draw it between them, producing a fold insaid'slieet.

2.. y A machine Oil. the character described, comprising three horizontally positioned rubber! rollers, one of. which is positively driveniand the other two-of which 'are' fric tionally engaged-by said: driven roller, afeed table with guides for conducting a sheet of paper'to and between said driven'rollenand one=of theothen two,.and means for guiding andstoppingfthe paper on the far side oftthe:

rollers, the'remaining or third roller being.

so positioned in relation to the driven roller;

that when the intermediate portion of theedge. :of the'paperw-ith the stopping means, said third; roller and? the driven roller will grip the buckled: portion of thesheet and draw it between them, producing afold in: 7 said sheet, 7 and T friction iinpelled take-off tapes-which travel'between the two last mentioned rollers. i Y

.3. The arrangement in combination of a paper is buckledby: contact of'the forward? power driven roller made of or surfaced wit-h soft rubber or any equivalent thereof having the property of pronounced elasticity or resiliency with another roller made of or surfaced with a like substance, the said second roller being yieldably pressed against the said driven roller by means of springs in such a manner that when the driven roller is caused to revolve, the frictional contact of its surface and the surface of the second roller will cause said second roller to also revolve in a direction opposite to that of the driven roller, whereby pressure may be exerted upon and motion imparted to paper or other material introduced to said rollers at their line of contact while they are revolving, the pressure being produced by the springs and the motion by the frictional grip and pull of the surfaces of therevolving rollers on the upper and lower surfaces of the paper or other material so introduced between them.

4. A machine of the character described, comprising three horizontally-positioned rubber rollers, means for positively driving one of said rollers, means for yieldably pressing the other two of said rollers against the driven roller, a feed table with guides positioned for the feeding of paper between the driven roller and one of the non-driven rollers, a guiding and stopping means at the far side of the driven roller, and tapes passing between said driven roller and the other of the non-driven rollers, said guiding means being so associated with the last-named nondriven roller and the driven roller that when the intermediate portion of the paper is buckled downwardly it will be caught by and drawn between the driven roller and the lastnamed non-driven roller.

In testimony whereof he afiixes his signa ture.

CLIFFORD S. BEALL. 

